Book Birthday Shout Out (1)

"Book Birthday Shout Out" is a meme hosted by The Bewitched Bookworms where bloggers can share books that are being released each week (because there are so many that it's tough to keep up!)

This week, I'd like to wish a wicked awesome Happy Book Birthday to....

POSSESSION by Elana Johnson

© 7 June 2011 by Simon & Schuster

Buy It!

Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | IndieBound

Goodreads description:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play...

POSSESSION is Elana Johnson's debut novel! According to her blog, in between all the smiling, she blogs for theLeague of Extraordinary Writers and helps to organize WriteOnCon.
She also teaches, watches reality TV, and drives too fast.

This book ROCKS!  Stop by the blog later in the day for my full review because I LOVED this book!  No, seriously, this book keeps me up late at night and I can't stop thinking about it...



Also, Happy Book Birthday to...

YA Book Review: The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan
© 4 October 2010 by Houghton Mifflin

Goodreads Description:

Lena has lived her whole life near the beach — walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves — the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf. But her father — a former surfer himself — refuses to allow her to take lessons. After his near drowning years ago, he can’t bear to let Lena take up the risky sport. Yet something keeps drawing Lena to the water . . . an ancient, powerful magic. And one morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman — with a silvery tail. Now nothing can stop Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves at Magic Crescent Cove. And soon . . . what she sees in the mermaid’s mirror will change her life forever.

My Thoughts...

Maybe it's just because I've been in a "mermaid book" kind of mood as of late, but I really enjoyed this novel.  It was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages until I finished the whole thing (such that I was reading between tasks at work...scanning and such).

Lena, at the beginning of the novel, was a bit of a difficult character to really love.  I found her a tad self-absorbed.  There were so many times I wanted to give her a little slap and say "Hey, your friends and family love and are concerned about you.  Notice them! Get out of your bubble!"  However, I didn't NOT like her...just not the kind of strong connection I can sometimes feel with a character.  Her sleepwalking "problem" pulled me in from the beginning and I have to admit that I was totally curious where the author was going with that.

As Lena discovers her heritage and more about her mom (who she believes to have died when she was little), the story really picks up.  There was a definite division between the first and second parts of the book and I really would have liked more of the second!  The ending was a bit unsatisfying for me and left me feeling a bit sad...but I don't want to give anything away so I'll leave it at that.

If you enjoy mermaid stories like Tera Lynn Childs' "Forgive My Fins,"  then you'll probably enjoy this one.

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren where bloggers can share the books that they bought, borrowed, or received for review. Check out her blog for more information and to link up your IMM post!

I'm doing a couple weeks worth of books this time but nothing can really top my last IMM post.  *sigh*  That was such a great week.  Anyway, on to the books!

On vacation, I can't stop myself from going into book stores and I almost never leave a bookstore without a book!  So....while I was in England, I convinced my husband to let me stop at Waterstones while we were in York.  I got three books there and THEN I bought another one in the airport in Manchester on our way home.  Here they are!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (the airport book)

Angel Kiss by Laura Jane Cassidy

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

The Confession of Katherine Howard by Suzannah Dunn

Also, before I left for vacation I ordered a few books to "supplement" the books I won (that were in my last IMM post).  In other words, I got a couple of books that are the latest in a series and I hadn't read the previous books! So, instead of going to the library and borrowing them...I bought them.  Bad habit.  I also recently stopped in at a Barnes and Noble and couldn't stop myself from picking up a couple of books.  

Evernight, Stargazer, and Hourglass by Claudia Gray

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Possession by Elana Johnson

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Let's see, I also got a couple of books from NetGalley for review!

 Well, I think that's it for this week!  I hope you all have a fabulous book week as well!

Happy Reading!

Hop & Follow Friday! (11)

I'm back for a Friday post! (well, it's Thursday...but I have to WORK tomorrow) While vacation was fabulous, I really did miss my blogger bonding time on Fridays/the weekend!  So, here it goes again!

Follow My Book Blog Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee.  Be sure to stop by her blog for the rules and join in the fun!!

Q. What are you doing to prepare for an upcoming zombie apocalypse and/or the return of Mel Gibson to the silver screen? (Both of which could be terrifying.)

I have a plan.  Here it is:  I have friends with a lot of...weapons.  Yeah, weapons (okay, GUNS, lots of guns).  They are going to come to my house because my husband and I have the alcohol (clearly necessary for the zombie apocalypse) AND my husband makes his own beer, therefore making us essential to survival.  Also, my husband owns some really big fancy knives...and he keeps it under his side of the bed...just in case.  But anways, the four of us are going to hunker down with stockpiles of food (THAT is why I have two freezers in my garage...) at my house because my hubby and I live in the country (clearly, the zombies will take longer to get here--seriously, they go to crowded places first, amiright?)  So...yeah...that's the plan we've prepared.  We also figure that once the apocalypse is over, my husband will use his stockpile of beer-making ingredients to make and sell/trade beer to the masses (because hey, it's a commodity in tough times) and that's how we'll get food and such to survive.

: )?

(Laughing yet?  I mean, not that I've thought about this or anything, right?)

[OH!  This is more "apocalypse" than "zombie apocalypse"...but my uncle actually BOUGHT LAND for if everything goes to hell...and he bought his specific stretch of land because it has fresh water.  So...option number 2 (if I think I can make it to the east coast)...go there!]

Happy Friday my dears!  Thanks for stopping by this fabulous Friday!

Leave me a comment to let me know if you're a new follower and link up to your own answer--

how will YOU survive the zombie apocalypse (or another Mel Gibson movie)??

(ARC) YA Book Review: Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson
© 2011 by Orchard/Carolrhoda

UK Release: 2 June 2011
US Release: September 2011
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Buy It! (well, you know, Pre-Order mostly...)
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Goodreads description:

"Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. This is not her story. Unless you count the part where I killed her." 

Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution. As she pieces her memory back together, she realizes she’s confessed to murdering Tori Beaugrand, the most perfect girl at school. But the case is a mystery. Tori's body has not been found, and Alison can't explain what happened. One minute she was fighting with Tori. The next moment Tori disintegrated—into nothing. But that's impossible. No one is capable of making someone vanish. Right? Alison must be losing her mind—like her mother always feared she would.  

For years Alison has tried to keep her weird sensory abilities a secret. No one ever understood—until a mysterious visiting scientist takes an interest in Alison's case. Suddenly, Alison discovers that the world is wrong about her—and that she’s capable of far more than anyone else would believe.

My Thoughts...

This was really an unexpected read to say the least. I felt like the description didn't give me very much to go on but left me intrigued enough to request it from NetGalley.  I'm really glad that I did!  I found Ultraviolet to be an intriguing novel that pulled me in and kept me guessing.

When Alison wakes up in a mental institution covered in (apparently self-inflicted) cuts and no recollection of how she got them, I found myself instantly drawn to this character and her mystery.  I immediately wanted to know more about why she was in the mental ward and what she had done to warrant her moving her to Pine Hills.  As someone (basically) accused of murder and assumed to have a severe mental illness, I was struck by Alison's will and determination throughout.  As she deals with her sensory abilities and learns to open up a little, I felt like I was able to connect with this character, even though we share little to nothing in common.  She made me want to be her friend (despite the fact that she pushes all of her would-be friends away).  I also thought that Anderson did a fabulous job of giving you just enough information about Alison and her condition that you question her sanity (and humanity) throughout the whole story.

As the story moves along, parts one and two were cohesive and captivating, but I found myself a bit thrown-off by part three.  I almost knew it was coming but there was just something about it that made it disconnect a bit from parts one and two.  In the end, I thought all three parts rolled together for a good story, but it was honestly the first two parts that made me fall in love with the story and the characters.  And...that's about all I want to say in case you decide to read it!  This is definitely a novel I think you want to go in to without too much information so you can discover everything along the way!

This is a fabulous read for fans of YA science fiction, especially perhaps Madeleine L'Engle.

**Thank you MUCH to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the eGalley!

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we can share upcoming book releases that we are eagerly awaiting! (And this AWESOME button is from Lindsay at The Violet Hour!)

This week I'm waiting on...

Hereafter by Tara Hudson
© 7 June 2011

Goodreads description:

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive. 

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

HarperTeen has a "Browse Inside" feature available for this book and it's awesome! After I read the preview, I went straight to B&N and pre-ordered a copy (for my NookColor--because I'm not patient enough to wait for shipping)

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?